Method and apparatus for sharing content

ABSTRACT

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided to facilitate sharing of content between various computing devices. In the context of a method, an image of a first external apparatus is received that includes information presented upon a display of the first external apparatus. The method also includes causing an identification request that includes a representation of the image of the first external apparatus including a representation of the information presented upon the display of the first external apparatus to be provided to a plurality of external apparatuses. The method also receives a response to the identification request from the first external apparatus indicating that the first external apparatus has presented the information upon the display of the first external apparatus.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

An example embodiment relates generally to the sharing of contentbetween computing devices and, more particularly, to the sharing ofcontent that has been presented upon the display of an externalapparatus.

BACKGROUND

Users of various computing devices, such as mobile terminals, mayoftentimes desire to establish communications between the computingdevices for various purposes, such as to share content, e.g., videos,images, documents, etc. Various techniques exist in order to facilitatecommunications between computing devices including direct communicationsbetween the computing devices, such as via local area networks,Bluetooth or the like, as well as indirect communications supported bywide area networks, e.g., the Internet, cellular networks or the like.While these techniques permit computing devices to communicate, each ofthe techniques generally require one or both of the computing devices,or the users of the computing devices, to perform a somewhat involvedsequence of operations in order to establish the communications betweenthe computing devices. The users of at least some computing devices maynot wish to perform the procedures necessary to establishcommunications, either because of a lack of familiarity with theprocedures, a desire to avoid the time required to perform theprocedures or for a myriad of other reasons.

For example, in order to establish communications or to otherwise paircomputing devices via Bluetooth, a user may be required to review a listof advertised computing devices and to select the computing device withwhich to pair. The subsequent pairing may, in turn, require the use ofspecial codes. Not only does the review of the list of advertiseddevices require the user to expend time and to divert their attentionfrom other activities, but the user must be able to identify thecomputing device with which to pair. In some instances, the user may notwish to expend the time required to review the list of advertiseddevices and make a selection and, even in an instance in which a userdoes the review the list of advertised devices, the user may not be ableto identify the computing device with which to pair from the list.Consequently, there may be a number of instances in which it may bedesirable to establish communications or to otherwise pair computingdevices, such as to share content or the like, but in which such apairing is not effected.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided accordingto an example embodiment of the present invention in order to facilitatesharing of content between various computing devices. In this regard,the method, apparatus and computer program product of an exampleembodiment provide for the sharing of content in an efficient andintuitive manner in order to provide for an enjoyable user experience.Additionally, the method, apparatus and computer program product of anexample embodiment may provide for sharing of content in a manner thatmaintains the resolution and other properties of the content.

In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes receiving an imageof a first external apparatus including information presented upon adisplay of the first external apparatus. The method of this embodimentalso includes causing, with a processor, an identification request thatincludes a representation of the image of the first external apparatusincluding a representation of the information presented upon the displayof the first external apparatus to be provided to a plurality ofexternal apparatuses. In this embodiment, the method also receives aresponse to the identification request from the first external apparatusindicating that the first external apparatus has presented theinformation upon the display of the first external apparatus.

The method may also include causing the image of the first externalapparatus to be captured. In an example embodiment, the method may alsocause communication with the first external apparatus to be establishedin response to receipt of the response to the identification requestfrom the first external apparatus. In this embodiment, the method mayalso authenticate the first external apparatus based upon theinformation presented upon the display of the first external apparatusprior to causing communication to be established with the first externalapparatus. The method of one embodiment may also generate therepresentation of the image of the first external apparatus based uponat least part of the image of the first external apparatus and/or basedupon one or more features within the image of the first externalapparatus.

In another embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes at leastone processor and at least one memory including computer programinstructions with the at least one memory and the computer programinstructions configured to, with the at least one processor, cause theapparatus at least to receive an image of a first external apparatusincluding information presented upon a display of the first externalapparatus. The at least one memory and the computer program instructionsare also configured to, with the at least one processor, cause theapparatus of this embodiment to cause an identification request thatincludes a representation of the image of the first external apparatusincluding a representation of the information presented upon the displayof the first external apparatus to be provided to a plurality ofexternal apparatuses. In this embodiment, the at least one memory andthe computer program instructions are also configured to, with the atleast one processor, cause the apparatus to receive a response to theidentification request from the first external apparatus indicating thatthe first external apparatus has presented the information upon thedisplay of the first external apparatus.

The at least one memory and the computer program instructions may alsobe configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatusto cause the image of the first external apparatus to be captured. In anexample embodiment, the at least one memory and the computer programinstructions are also configured to, with the at least one processor,cause the apparatus to cause communication with the first externalapparatus to be established in response to receipt of the response tothe identification request from the first external apparatus. In thisembodiment, the at least one memory and the computer programinstructions may also be configured to, with the at least one processor,cause the apparatus to authenticate the first external apparatus basedupon the information presented upon the display of the first externalapparatus prior to causing communication to be established with thefirst external apparatus. The at least one memory and the computerprogram instructions may also be configured to, with the at least oneprocessor, cause the apparatus of an example embodiment to generate therepresentation of the image of the first external apparatus based uponat least part of the image of the first external apparatus and/or basedupon one or more features within the image of the first externalapparatus.

In a further embodiment, a computer program product is provided thatincludes at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumbearing computer program instructions embodied therein for use with acomputer with the computer program instructions including instructionsthat are configured to receive an image of a first external apparatusincluding information presented upon a display of the first externalapparatus. The computer program instructions of this embodiment alsoinclude instructions that are configured to cause an identificationrequest that includes a representation of the image of the firstexternal apparatus including a representation of the informationpresented upon the display of the first external apparatus to beprovided to a plurality of external apparatuses. In this embodiment, thecomputer program instructions also include instructions that areconfigured to receive a response to the identification request from thefirst external apparatus indicating that the first external apparatushas presented the information upon the display of the first externalapparatus.

In yet another embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes meansfor receiving an image of a first external apparatus includinginformation presented upon a display of the first external apparatus.The apparatus of this embodiment also includes means for causing anidentification request that includes a representation of the image ofthe first external apparatus including a representation of theinformation presented upon the display of the first external apparatusto be provided to a plurality of external apparatuses. In thisembodiment, the apparatus also includes means for receiving a responseto the identification request from the first external apparatusindicating that the first external apparatus has presented theinformation upon the display of the first external apparatus.

In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes receiving anidentification request that includes a representation of an image of anapparatus including a representation of information presented upon adisplay of the apparatus. The method of this embodiment also includesdetermining, with a processor, whether the information presented uponthe display of the apparatus that is included within the identificationrequest has been presented. In an instance in which the informationpresented upon the display of the apparatus that is included within theidentification request is determined to have been presented, the methodof this embodiment also includes causing a response to theidentification request to be provided that indicates that theinformation presented upon the display of the apparatus has beenpresented.

The method may determine whether the information presented upon thedisplay of the apparatus that is included within the identificationrequest has been presented by determining whether the informationpresented upon the display of the apparatus that is included within theidentification request has been presented within a predefined timeperiod. The method of one embodiment may also include receiving arequest from an external apparatus that provided the identification toestablish communication with the external apparatus in response toreceipt of the response to the identification request.

In another embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes at leastone processor and at least one memory including computer programinstructions with the at least one memory and the computer programinstructions configured to, with the at least one processor, cause theapparatus at least to receive an identification request that includes arepresentation of an image of an apparatus including a representation ofinformation presented upon a display of the apparatus. The at least onememory and the computer program instructions are also configured to,with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus of this embodimentto determine whether the information presented upon the display of theapparatus that is included within the identification request has beenpresented. In an instance in which the information presented upon thedisplay of the apparatus that is included within the identificationrequest is determined to have been presented, the at least one memoryand the computer program instructions are also configured to, with theat least one processor, cause the apparatus of this embodiment to causea response to the identification request to be provided that indicatesthat the information presented upon the display of the apparatus hasbeen presented.

The at least one memory and the computer program instructions may beconfigured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus todetermine whether the information presented upon the display of theapparatus that is included within the identification request has beenpresented by determining whether the information presented upon thedisplay of the apparatus that is included within the identificationrequest has been presented within a predefined time period. The at leastone memory and the computer program instructions may also be configuredto, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus of an exampleembodiment to receive a request from an external apparatus that providedthe identification to establish communication with the externalapparatus in response to receipt of the response to the identificationrequest.

In a further embodiment, a computer program product is provided thatincludes at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumbearing computer program instructions embodied therein for use with acomputer with the computer program instructions including instructionsthat are configured to receive an identification request that includes arepresentation of an image of an apparatus including a representation ofinformation presented upon a display of the apparatus. The computerprogram instructions of this embodiment also include instructions thatare configured to determine whether the information presented upon thedisplay of the apparatus that is included within the identificationrequest has been presented. In an instance in which the informationpresented upon the display of the apparatus that is included within theidentification request is determined to have been presented, thecomputer program instructions also include instructions that areconfigured to cause a response to the identification request to beprovided that indicates that the information presented upon the displayof the apparatus has been presented.

In yet another embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes meansfor receiving an identification request that includes a representationof an image of an apparatus including a representation of informationpresented upon a display of the apparatus. The apparatus of thisembodiment also includes means for determining whether the informationpresented upon the display of the apparatus that is included within theidentification request has been presented. In an instance in which theinformation presented upon the display of the apparatus that is includedwithin the identification request is determined to have been presented,the apparatus of this embodiment also includes means for causing aresponse to the identification request to be provided that indicatesthat the information presented upon the display of the apparatus hasbeen presented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described certain embodiments of the invention in generalterms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, whichare not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of computing devices that may beconfigured to share content in accordance with an example embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an apparatus that may be specificallyconfigured in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating operations performed in order toshare content in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating operations performed in order toidentify an external apparatus that presented information that may be,for example, shared in accordance with an example embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating operations performed in order toreceive and respond to an identification request regarding informationthat has been presented in accordance with an example embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described morefully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichsome, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed,various embodiments of the invention may be embodied in many differentforms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments setforth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that thisdisclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like referencenumerals refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the teams“data,” “content,” “information,” and similar terms may be usedinterchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, receivedand/or stored in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.Thus, use of any such terms should not be taken to limit the spirit andscope of embodiments of the present invention.

Additionally, as used herein, the term ‘circuitry’ refers to (a)hardware-only circuit implementations (e.g., implementations in analogcircuitry and/or digital circuitry); (b) combinations of circuits andcomputer program product(s) comprising software and/or firmwareinstructions stored on one or more computer readable memories that worktogether to cause an apparatus to perform one or more functionsdescribed herein; and (c) circuits, such as, for example, amicroprocessor(s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s), that requiresoftware or firmware for operation even if the software or firmware isnot physically present. This definition of ‘circuitry’ applies to alluses of this term herein, including in any claims. As a further example,as used herein, the term ‘circuitry’ also includes an implementationcomprising one or more processors and/or portion(s) thereof andaccompanying software and/or firmware. As another example, the term‘circuitry’ as used herein also includes, for example, a basebandintegrated circuit or applications processor integrated circuit for amobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellularnetwork device, other network device, and/or other computing device.

As defined herein, a “computer-readable storage medium,” which refers toa non-transitory physical storage medium (e.g., volatile or non-volatilememory device), can be differentiated from a “computer-readabletransmission medium,” which refers to an electromagnetic signal.

In accordance with an example embodiment, a method, apparatus, andcomputer program product are provided in order to facilitate sharing ofcontent between computing devices. In this regard, the method,apparatus, and computer program product may share content in the mannerthat maintains the quality, such as the resolution, of the content andthat may cause information that is associated with the content, but thatis not presented upon the display of one of the computing devices, to beshared with the other computing device. As such, the users of thecomputing devices that have shared the content may thereafter more fullyinteract with and enjoy the content. For example, an image that isstored by one of the computing devices may be presented upon the displayof the computing device and shared with the other computing device in amanner that may maintain the quality, such as the resolution, of thecontent and that may also cause information that was not presented uponthe display, but that is associated with the image, such as metadata, tobe shared with the other computing device. However, the method,apparatus, and computer program product of an example embodimentfacilitate the sharing of the content in an intuitive manner withoutrequiring the users of the computing devices to engage in an involvedprocedure in order to establish communications between the computingdevices prior to sharing the content between the computing devices,thereby improving the user experience associated with the sharing of thecontent.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a pair of computing devices 10, 12 betweenwhich content is to be shared are illustrated. While FIG. 1 depicts twocomputing devices, content may be shared between a greater number ofcomputing devices in other embodiments. In accordance with an exampleembodiment of the present invention, content may be shared between avariety of types of computing devices including mobile terminals asshown in FIG. 1 or fixed computing devices. In this regard, the mobileterminals between which the content may be shared may include, forexample, a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a portable digital assistant(PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a touch surface, a gamingdevice, a camera, an electronic book, a pager, a mobile television, agaming device, a camera, a video recorder, an audio/video player, aradio, a positioning device (e.g., global positioning system (GPS)device), or any combination of the aforementioned, and other types ofvoice and text communications systems. The fixed computing devicesbetween which the content may be shared may include, for example, adesktop computer, a computer workstation or the like. While FIG. 1depicts a pair of computing devices of the same type, such as a pair ofmobile terminals, the method, apparatus, and computer program product ofan example embodiment may be configured to share content betweendifferent types of computing devices, such as between a mobile terminaland a fixed computing device, in other embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 1, an image may be presented upon the display 14 of afirst computing device 10. A second computing device 12 may cause animage of the content presented from the display to be captured by acamera or other image capturing module included within or otherwiseassociated with the second computing device. For example, the field ofview of the camera of the second computing device is depicted by thedashed lines in FIG. 1 and includes the display of the first computingdevice. Based upon the image of the content presented upon the displayof the first computing device, the content itself, as opposed to simplyan image of that portion of the content that is presented upon thedisplay of the first computing device, may be shared with the secondcomputing device. Thus, the second computing device may, in oneembodiment, not only receive the content in its full resolution, but mayalso receive information associated with the content, such as metadata,that is not presented upon the display of the first computing device butthat facilitates use of the content by the second computing device.

The computing devices may include or otherwise be associated with anapparatus 20 as generally described below in conjunction with FIG. 2 forperforming one or more of the operations set forth by the flowcharts ofFIGS. 3-5 and also described below. In regards to the example embodimentof FIG. 1, the second computing device 12 that receives the content mayinclude or otherwise be associated with the apparatus for performing theoperations set forth by the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4, and the firstcomputing device 10 that provides the content may include or otherwisebe associated with the apparatus for performing the operations set forthby the flowchart of FIG. 5. It should also be noted that while FIG. 2illustrates one example of a configuration of an apparatus 20 forfacilitating the sharing of content between computing devices, numerousother configurations may also be used to implement other embodiments ofthe present invention. As such, in some embodiments, although devices orelements are shown as being in communication with each other,hereinafter such devices or elements should be considered to be capableof being embodied within the same device or element and thus, devices orelements shown in communication should be understood to alternatively beportions of the same device or element.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the apparatus 20 for facilitating the sharingof content between computing devices in accordance with one exampleembodiment may include or otherwise be in communication with a processor22, a memory 24, a communication interface 26, a user interface 28 andan image capturing module, such as a camera 39. In some embodiments, theprocessor (and/or co-processors or any other processing circuitryassisting or otherwise associated with the processor) may be incommunication with the memory device via a bus for passing informationamong components of the apparatus. The memory device may include, forexample, one or more volatile and/or non-volatile memories. In otherwords, for example, the memory device may be an electronic storagedevice (e.g., a computer readable storage medium) comprising gatesconfigured to store data (e.g., bits) that may be retrievable by amachine (e.g., a computing device like the processor). The memory devicemay be configured to store information, data, content, applications,instructions, or the like for enabling the apparatus to carry outvarious functions in accordance with an example embodiment of thepresent invention. For example, the memory device could be configured tobuffer input data for processing by the processor. Additionally oralternatively, the memory device could be configured to storeinstructions for execution by the processor.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be embodied as a chip or chipset. In other words, the apparatus may comprise one or more physicalpackages (e.g., chips) including materials, components and/or wires on astructural assembly (e.g., a baseboard). The structural assembly mayprovide physical strength, conservation of size, and/or limitation ofelectrical interaction for component circuitry included thereon. Theapparatus may therefore, in some cases, be configured to implement anembodiment of the present invention on a single chip or as a single“system on a chip.” As such, in some cases, a chip or chipset mayconstitute means for performing one or more operations for providing thefunctionalities described herein.

The processor 22 may be embodied in a number of different ways. Forexample, the processor may be embodied as one or more of varioushardware processing means such as a coprocessor, a microprocessor, acontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing element withor without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing circuitryincluding integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC (applicationspecific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), amicrocontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a special-purposecomputer chip, or the like. As such, in some embodiments, the processormay include one or more processing cores configured to performindependently. A multi-core processor may enable multiprocessing withina single physical package. Additionally or alternatively, the processormay include one or more processors configured in tandem via the bus toenable independent execution of instructions, pipelining and/ormultithreading.

In an example embodiment, the processor 22 may be configured to executeinstructions stored in the memory device 24 or otherwise accessible tothe processor. Alternatively or additionally, the processor may beconfigured to execute hard coded functionality. As such, whetherconfigured by hardware or software methods, or by a combination thereof,the processor may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied incircuitry) capable of performing operations according to an embodimentof the present invention while configured accordingly. Thus, forexample, when the processor is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA or the like,the processor may be specifically configured hardware for conducting theoperations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, when theprocessor is embodied as an executor of software instructions, theinstructions may specifically configure the processor to perform thealgorithms and/or operations described herein when the instructions areexecuted. However, in some cases, the processor may be a processor of aspecific device configured to employ an embodiment of the presentinvention by further configuration of the processor by instructions forperforming the algorithms and/or operations described herein. Theprocessor may include, among other things, a clock, an arithmetic logicunit (ALU) and logic gates configured to support operation of theprocessor.

Meanwhile, the communication interface 26 may be any means such as adevice or circuitry embodied in either hardware or a combination ofhardware and software that is configured to receive and/or transmit datafrom/to a network and/or any other device or module in communicationwith the apparatus 20, such as by supporting communications with theother computing device. In this regard, the communication interface mayinclude, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas) and supportinghardware and/or software for enabling communications with a wirelesscommunication network. Additionally or alternatively, the communicationinterface may include the circuitry for interacting with the antenna(s)to cause transmission of signals via the antenna(s) or to handle receiptof signals received via the antenna(s). In some environments, thecommunication interface may alternatively or also support wiredcommunication. As such, for example, the communication interface mayinclude a communication modem and/or other hardware/software forsupporting communication via cable, digital subscriber line (DSL),universal serial bus (USB) or other mechanisms

The apparatus 20 may include a user interface 28 that may, in turn, bein communication with the processor 22 to provide output to the userand, in some embodiments, to receive an indication of a user input. Assuch, the user interface 28 may include a display and, in someembodiments, may also include a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a touchscreen, touch areas, soft keys, a microphone, a speaker, or otherinput/output mechanisms. The processor 22 may comprise user interfacecircuitry configured to control at least some functions of one or moreuser interface elements such as a display and, in some embodiments, aspeaker, ringer, microphone and/or the like. The processor 22 and/oruser interface circuitry comprising the processor may be configured tocontrol one or more functions of one or more user interface elementsthrough computer program instructions (e.g., software and/or firmware)stored on a memory accessible to the processor (e.g., memory 24, and/orthe like).

As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus 20 may also include an image capturingmodule 29, such as a camera, video and/or audio module, in communicationwith the processor 22. The image capturing element may be any means forcapturing an image, video and/or audio for storage, display ortransmission. As used herein, an image includes a still image as well asan image from a video recording. For example, in an example embodimentin which the image capturing element is a camera, the camera may includea digital camera capable of forming a digital image file from a capturedimage. As such, the camera may include all hardware (for example, a lensor other optical component(s), image sensor, image signal processor,and/or the like) and software necessary for creating a digital imagefile from a captured image. Alternatively, the camera may include onlythe hardware needed to view an image, while the memory 22 of theapparatus stores instructions for execution by the processor in the formof software necessary to create a digital image file from a capturedimage. In an example embodiment, the camera may further include aprocessing element such as a co-processor which assists the processor inprocessing image data and an encoder and/or decoder for compressingand/or decompressing image data. The encoder and/or decoder may encodeand/or decode according to, for example, a joint photographic expertsgroup (JPEG) standard, a moving picture experts group (MPEG) standard,or other format.

The method, apparatus 20 and computer program product of one embodimentmay now be described in conjunction with the operations illustrated inFIG. 3. In this regard, the apparatus, such as the processor 22, thecommunications interface 26 or the like, may be configured to receive animage of an external apparatus including information presented upon adisplay of the external apparatus. See block 30 of FIG. 3. In an exampleembodiment of FIG. 1 in which the apparatus is embodied by or otherwiseassociated with the second computing device 12 that is to receive thecontent shared between the computing devices, the second computingdevice may receive an image of the first computing device 10 and, moreparticularly, an image of the information that is presented upon thedisplay 14 of the first computing device. Thus, the apparatus mayinclude means, such as the processor, the communications interface orthe like, for receiving an image of the external apparatus.

The image of the external apparatus, such as the first computing device10 in the embodiment of FIG. 1, that includes information presented uponthe display of the external apparatus may be received in variousmanners. In an example embodiment, however, the apparatus 20, such asthe processor 22, user interface 28 or the like, may receive a userinput and the apparatus, such as the processor, the image capturingmodule 29 or the like, may cause the image of the external apparatus tobe captured in response to the user input. For example, the user of thesecond computing device 12 may position the second computing device suchthat the view of the camera of the second computing device includes thedisplay 14 of the first computing device 10 as shown, for example, bythe dashed lines in FIG. 1. The second computing device may then receiveuser input directing that the image be captured by the camera and, inresponse, the camera may capture the image of the first computing deviceincluding the information presented upon the display of the firstcomputing device. Thus, the apparatus of this embodiment may includemeans, such as the processor, the user interface or the like, forreceiving user input and means, such as the processor, the imagecapturing module or the like, for causing the image of the externalapparatus to be captured in response to the user input.

The apparatus 20, such as the processor 22, the communications interface28 or the like, is also configured to cause a content request to beprovided that requests content upon which the information presented uponthe display of the external apparatus is based. See block 38 of FIG. 3.Thus, the apparatus does not simply rely upon the image of theinformation presented upon the display of the external apparatus, but,instead, solicits the content upon which the information presented uponthe display of the external apparatus is based. As such, the apparatusof this embodiment includes means, such as the processor, thecommunications interface or the like, from causing the content requestto be provided.

The apparatus 20 may be configured to identify the external apparatushaving the display upon which the information was presented and toidentify the information that was presented upon the display of theexternal apparatus in various manners in order to be able to provide ameaningful content request that identifies the information that waspresented upon the display that is desired to be shared and that directsthe content request to the external apparatus that presented theinformation upon its display. In one embodiment, the apparatus, such asthe processor 22, may be configured to determine that the image of theexternal apparatus includes the display of the external apparatus. Seeblock 32 of FIG. 3. The apparatus, such as the processor, may beconfigured to identify that the image includes the display of theexternal apparatus in various manners, such as by object recognitiontechniques. In another embodiment, the apparatus, such as the processor,may determine that the image includes the display of the externalapparatus by causing the image to be presented upon the display of thesecond computing device 12 and by soliciting user input as to whether,or not, the image as presented by the second computing device is animage of the display of the external apparatus that is presentinginformation that is desired to be shared. Thus, the apparatus of thisembodiment may include means, such as a processor or the like, fordetermining that the image includes the display of the externalapparatus.

In an instance in which it is determined that the image received by theapparatus 20 includes the display of the external apparatus, theapparatus, such as the processor 22, may be configured to identify theexternal apparatus based upon the image of the external apparatus. Seeblock 34 of FIG. 3. As described below in conjunction with FIGS. 4 and5, the identification of the external apparatus may be performed invarious manners. In one embodiment, however, the apparatus, such as theprocessor, may be configured to identify the external apparatus basedupon object recognition techniques or user input as described above.Alternatively, the external apparatus may provide a uniqueidentification code that identifies the external apparatus and that isincluded within the image of the display of the external apparatus thatis received. In this regard, the unique identification code thatidentifies the external apparatus may be imprinted upon or otherwisevisibly presented by the external apparatus. In one embodiment, forexample, the information presented upon the display may not only includeinformation associated with the content that is desired to be shared,but also may include a unique identification code that identifies theexternal apparatus. Still further, the external apparatus mayalternately flash the information associated with the content that isdesired to be shared and the unique identification code upon the displaysuch that the apparatus may receive not only an image including theinformation associated with the content that is desired to be shared,but also an image of the unique identification code that is presentedupon the display of the external apparatus. In this embodiment, theapparatus, such as the processor, may identify the external apparatusbased upon the unique identification code, such as by reference to alisting stored in memory 24 of unique identification codes andcorresponding information regarding the external apparatuses associatedwith the unique identification code. Thus, the apparatus of thisembodiment may include means, such as a processor or the like, foridentifying the external apparatus based upon the image of the externalapparatus.

The apparatus 20, such as the processor 22, may also be configured toidentify the information presented upon the display of the externalapparatus. See block 36 of FIG. 3. In this regard, the apparatus, suchas the processor, may be configured to identify the informationpresented upon the display of the external apparatus based upon theimage of the external apparatus, including information presented uponthe display of the external apparatus. The apparatus, such as theprocessor, may be configured to identify the information presented uponthe display of the external apparatus based upon the informationpresented upon the display of the external apparatus in various manners.For example, the apparatus, such as the processor, may be configured toextract one or more visual features from the information presented uponthe display of the external apparatus and to then utilize the one ormore visual features as a key in order to identify the information thatis presented upon the display of the external apparatus. Alternatively,the apparatus, such as the processor, may be configured to generate acolor histogram based upon the image of the external apparatus such thatthe information presented upon the display of the external apparatus maybe identified by the color histogram. In a further embodiment, theinformation that is presented upon the display of the external apparatusmay include a reference that is encoded therein via steganography. Inthis embodiment, the apparatus, such as the processor, may interpret thereference that is encoded within the information presented upon thedisplay of the external apparatus via steganography in order to identifythe information presented upon the display of the external apparatus.Additionally or alternatively, the apparatus, such as the processor, maybe configured to identify the information presented upon the display ofthe external apparatus based upon the time at which the image of theexternal apparatus was captured. Thus, the apparatus of this embodimentmay include means, such as the processor or the like, for identifyingthe information presented upon the display of the external apparatus.

The content request that is then provided as shown in block 38 of FIG. 3in order to request content upon which the information presented uponthe display of the external apparatus is based may, in one embodiment,be specifically directed to the external apparatus in an instance inwhich the external apparatus has been identified based upon the image ofthe external apparatus. Additionally or alternatively, the contentrequest may identify the information presented upon the display of theexternal apparatus for which the associated content is requested. Asdescribed above by way of example, the content may be identified basedupon the information that is presented on the display of the externalapparatus, such as by being identified by one or more visual features, acolor histogram, an encoded reference and/or the time of which the imageof the external apparatus was captured. In an instance in which thecontent that is requested to be shared is identified by the time atwhich the information presented upon the display of the externalapparatus was captured, the time may be in the absolute time, such asthe time of day, or may be a relative time, such as the duration of timeprior to the content request at which the image of the externalapparatus was captured. In an embodiment in which the content requestidentifies the information presented upon the display of the externalapparatus, but does not specifically identify the external apparatus,the content request may be provided to a plurality of externalapparatuses such that the external apparatus that did present theinformation that was identified by the content request may identifyitself as described below in conjunction with FIGS. 4 and 5.

The apparatus 20, such as the processor 22, the communications interface26 or the like, may also be configured to receive, in response to thecontent request, the content upon which the information presented uponthe display of the external apparatus is based. See block 40 of FIG. 3.By receiving the content upon which the information presented upon thedisplay of the external apparatus is based, the apparatus, such as thesecond computing device 12 in the embodiment of FIG. 1, may generallyreceive content having higher quality including greater resolution thanthat provided by the image of the display of the external apparatus. Inaddition, the content that is received may optionally include contentthat is associated with the information presented upon the display ofthe external apparatus, but that was not presented upon the display ofthe external apparatus at the time the image was captured. For example,the content may be a multi-page document of which a portion of a singlepage was presented upon the display of the external apparatus. However,the content that is received by the apparatus, such as the secondcomputing device in the embodiment of FIG. 1, in response to a contentrequest may include the entire multi-page document including those pagesthat were not presented by the display of the external apparatus at thetime that the image was captured. Thus, the content received by theapparatus, such as the second computing device, may be both more fulsomeand of higher quality in comparison to the information presented uponthe display of the external apparatus that was included within the imagereceived by the apparatus, such as the second computing device. Thus,the apparatus may include means, such as the processor, thecommunications interface or the like, for receiving content upon whichthe information presented upon the display of the external apparatus isbased.

In one embodiment, the apparatus 20, such as the processor 22, thecommunications interface 26 or the like, may also receive metadataassociated with the content upon which the information presented uponthe display of the external apparatus is based. See block 42 of FIG. 3.The metadata may be received in conjunction with the content itself inresponse to the content request. By also receiving metadata, the contextof the content that is received may be more readily determined in orderto facilitate usage of the content by the apparatus, such as the secondcomputing device 12, including facilitation of the storage, associationand retrieval of the content. The apparatus of one embodiment maytherefore also include means, such as the processor, the communicationsinterface or the like, for receiving metadata associated with thecontent upon which the information presented upon the display of theexternal apparatus is based.

As described above, the apparatus 20 may be configured to communicatedirectly with the external apparatus with the apparatus causing thecontent request to be directed to the external apparatus and, in turn,receiving the requested content from the external apparatus. However,the apparatus may, instead, communicate with a third party, such as aserver or other network entity which may also include or otherwise beembodied by an apparatus of the type shown in FIG. 2 and describedabove. In this embodiment, the apparatus embodied by the secondcomputing device 12 may cause the content request include the image ofthe external apparatus to be transmitted to the third party. The thirdparty may be configured to determine the information that is presentedupon the display of the external apparatus and, in some instances, toalso identify the external apparatus based upon the image of theexternal apparatus, thereby permitting the apparatus embodied by thesecond computing device to offload at least some of the image processingto the third party. In this embodiment, the third party may provide anindication to the apparatus embodied by the second computing device ofthe identity of the information that is presented upon the display ofthe external apparatus. and, in some instances, the identity of theexternal apparatus such that the apparatus embodied by the secondcomputing device may then issue another content request for theinformation to the external apparatus. Alternatively, the third partymay issue a content request to the external apparatus that identifiesthe information that is to be shared such that the external apparatusmay thereafter cause the information to be transmitted either directlyto the apparatus embodied by the second computing device or to the thirdparty which, in turn, may relay the information to the apparatusembodied by the second computing device.

As described above, the external apparatus may be identified in variousmanners. However, the method, apparatus, and computer program product ofone example embodiment may be configured to identify the externalapparatus in the manner described below in conjunction with FIG. 4. Inthis regard and as described above in conjunction with operation 30 ofFIG. 3, the apparatus 20, such as the processor 22, the communicationsinterface 26 or the like, may be configured to receive an image of theexternal apparatus (hereinafter referenced as a first external apparatusso as to distinguish the first external apparatus from other externalapparatuses) including information presented upon the display of thefirst external apparatus. See block 50 of FIG. 4. As described above,the first external apparatus may be embodied by the first computingdevice 10 having a display 14 upon which information is presented. Asalso described above, the image of the first external apparatus may bereceived in various manners including by having caused in the image ofthe first external apparatus to be captured, such as by an imagecapturing module 29 in response to user input. In this regard, theapparatus may therefore include means, such as the processor 22, thecommunications interface 26 or the like, for receiving an image of thefirst external apparatus including information presented upon thedisplay of the first external apparatus and means, such as theprocessor, the image capturing module or the like, for causing the imageof the first external apparatus to be captured.

The apparatus 20 may include means, such as the processor 22, thecommunications interface 26 or the like, for causing an identificationrequest that includes a representation of the image of the firstexternal apparatus including a representation of the informationpresented upon the display of the first external apparatus to beprovided to a plurality of external apparatuses. See block 54 of FIG. 4.The identification request may be configured in various manners so as toidentify the information that was presented upon the display of thefirst external apparatus which the apparatus desires to be shared. Inone embodiment, for example, the apparatus, such as the processor, maybe configured to generate a representation of the image of the firstexternal apparatus so as to identify the information presented upon thedisplay of the first external apparatus that is to be shared. See block52 of FIG. 4. The representation of the image of the first externalapparatus may be generated in various manners including a representationthat is based upon at least part of the image of the first externalapparatus and/or a representation is based upon one or more featureswithin the image of the first external apparatus. As described above inconjunction with operation 36 of FIG. 3, for example, the representationof the image of the first external apparatus may include arepresentation of one or more visual features of the image that havebeen extracted from the image and that define the representation of theimage by serving as a key to the information that is presented upon thedisplay of the first external apparatus that is to be shared.Alternatively, the representation of the image of the first externalapparatus may be a color histogram that is generated by the processorwith respect to the image of the first external apparatus and thatserves to identify the information presented upon the display of thefirst external apparatus that is to be shared. Still further, arepresentation of the image of the first external apparatus may includethe identification of a reference that was encoded via steganographyinto the image of the first external apparatus and that serves toidentify the information presented upon the display of the firstexternal apparatus that is to be shared.

In contrast to the reference encoded via steganography into the image ofthe first external apparatus that serves to identify the informationupon the display of the first external apparatus, but does not identifythe first external apparatus itself, the generation of therepresentation of the image of the first external apparatus does notinclude identifying a unique identifier that identifies the firstexternal apparatus, such as by decoding a unique identifier of the firstexternal apparatus that is displayed by the first external apparatus.Instead, the method, apparatus and computer program product of thisembodiment are configured to generate a representation of the image ofthe first external apparatus that is representative of and identifiesthe image of the first external apparatus without specificallyidentifying the first external apparatus itself. Thus, theidentification request that is provided to a plurality of externalapparatuses may include the representation of the image of the firstexternal apparatus and need not specifically identify the first externalapparatus itself. Thus, the apparatus 20 may include means, such as theprocessor 22 or the like, for generating the representation of the imageof the first external apparatus.

The apparatus 20, such as the processor 22, the communications interface26 or the like, may also be configured to receive a response to theidentification request from the first external apparatus indicating thatthe first external apparatus has presented the information upon thedisplay of the first display apparatus. See block 56 of FIG. 4. In thisregard, the response from the first external apparatus may indicate thatthe first external apparatus is currently presenting the informationupon its display or has presented the information upon its display, suchas within a predefined period of time preceding the identificationrequest. In this regard, the predefined period of time may be predefinedby the first external apparatus or may be defined by the apparatus withthe first external apparatus being notified of the predefined period oftime, such as within the identification request. Thus, the apparatus ofan example embodiment may include means, such as the processor, thecommunications interface or the like, for receiving a response to theidentification request. In addition to receiving a response to theidentification request from the first external apparatus indicating thatthe first external apparatus has presented the information, theapparatus, such as the processor, the communications interface or thelike, may also be configured to receive a response from one or moreother external apparatuses indicating that one or more other externalapparatuses have not presented the information that is the subject ofthe identification request, at least not within a predefined period oftime preceding the identification request. While the other externalapparatuses may provide responses indicating that the other externalapparatuses did not present the information that is the subject of theidentification request, some external apparatuses may simply be silentor otherwise fail to respond to the identification request in aninstance in which the other external apparatuses did not present theinformation that is the subject of the identification request. Thus, theapparatus, such as the processor or the like, may also be configured tointerpret the lack of a response from an external apparatus as anindication that the external apparatus did not present the informationthat is the subject of the identification request, at least not withinthe predefined period of time preceding the identification request.

Thereafter, after having identified the first external apparatus in themanner described above, the apparatus 20, such as the processor 22 orthe communications interface 26, may cause communications to beestablished with the first external apparatus. See block 60 of FIG. 4.In this regard, the apparatus may pair with the first external apparatusthat has been identified in order to support subsequent communicationstherewith. The apparatus of an example embodiment may therefore includemeans, such as the processor, the communications interface or the like,for causing communications to be established. In one embodimentdescribed above in conjunction with blocks 38 and 40 of FIG. 3, thecommunications established by the apparatus with the first externalapparatus may include the provision of a content request to the firstexternal apparatus and the subsequent receipt, in response to thecontent request, of the content upon which the information presentedupon display of the first external apparatus is based. In oneembodiment, the apparatus, such as the processor or the like, may beconfigured to authenticate the first external apparatus based upon theinformation presented upon the display of the first external apparatusprior to generating the content request. The first external apparatusmay be authenticated in various manners. Once authenticated, the contentrequest may be directed to the first external apparatus in the mannerdescribed above. However, failure to properly authenticate the firstexternal apparatus may prevent the content request from being providedand may, instead, cause the process to be performed again including, thecapture of another image of the information presented upon the displayof the first external apparatus.

From the perspective of the first external apparatus as may be embodiedby or associated with the first computing device 10 in the embodiment ofFIG. 1, the first external apparatus may include means, such as theprocessor 22, the communications interface 26 or the like, for receivingthe identification request that includes a representation of the imageof an apparatus including a representation of the information presentedupon the display of the apparatus. See block 70 of FIG. 5. The firstexternal apparatus may also include means, such as the processor or thelike, for determining whether the information presented upon the displayof the apparatus that is included within the identification request hasbeen presented by the first external apparatus. See block 72 of FIG. 5.In this regard, the first external apparatus, such as the processor, maydetermine whether the information is currently presented upon thedisplay of the first external apparatus or has been presented upon thedisplay of the first external apparatus within a predefined time periodprior to the time at which the identification request was received.Although the first external apparatus, such as the processor, maydetermine whether the information presented upon the display of theapparatus that is included within the identification request has beenpresented by the first external apparatus, a network entity may makessuch a determination in another embodiment and may inform the apparatusthat distributes the identification request and/or the first externalapparatus.

In an instance in which the information presented upon the display ofthe apparatus that is included within the identification request isdetermined to have been presented, either currently or, in someembodiments, within a predefined time period in advance to theidentification request, the first external apparatus may include means,such as the processor, the communications interface or the like, forcausing a response to the identification request to be provided thatindicates that the information presented upon the display of the firstexternal apparatus has been presented. See block 74 of FIG. 5.Conversely, in an instance in which the information that is includedwithin the identification request is determined to not have beenpresented, either currently or, in some embodiments, within a predefinedtime period of the receipt of the identification request, the firstexternal apparatus may either send no response, thereby implicitlyindicating that the first external apparatus did not present theinformation that is the subject of the identification request upon itsdisplay, or send an explicit response indicating that the informationthat is the subject of the identification request was not presented uponthe display of the apparatus.

In an instance in which a response to the identification requestindicates that the information was presented on the display of the firstexternal apparatus, the first external apparatus may include means, suchas the processor 22, the communications interface 26 or the like, forreceiving a request from the apparatus that provided the identificationrequest to establish communication with the apparatus. See block 76 ofFIG. 5. In this regard, the first external apparatus may pair with theapparatus that provided the identification request in order to supportsubsequent communications therewith. In one embodiment described abovein conjunction with blocks 38 and 40 of FIG. 3, the communicationsestablished by the first external apparatus with the apparatus thatprovided the identification request may include the receipt of a contentrequest to establish communication with the second computing device 12.As described above, the content request may request the content uponwhich the information presented upon the display of the first externalapparatus is based. In response to the content request, the firstexternal apparatus, such as the processor, the communications interfaceor the like, may cause the content to be provided as described above inconjunction with FIG. 3.

As described above, a method, apparatus, and computer program productare provided according to example embodiments of the present inventionin order to facilitate sharing of content between various computingdevices. In this regard, the method, apparatus and computer programproduct provide for the sharing of content in an efficient and intuitivemanner and without requiring the users of the computing devices toengage in an involved procedure in order to establish communicationsbetween the computing devices in advance of sharing the content. As alsodescribed above, the method, apparatus and computer program product ofan example embodiment additionally provides for sharing of content in amanner that maintains the quality, such as the resolution and otherproperties, of the content.

As described above, FIGS. 3-5 illustrate flowcharts of an apparatus 20,method, and computer program product according to example embodiments ofthe invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowcharts,and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts, may be implemented byvarious means, such as hardware, firmware, processor, circuitry, and/orother devices associated with execution of software including one ormore computer program instructions. For example, one or more of theprocedures described above may be embodied by computer programinstructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions whichembody the procedures described above may be stored by a memory 24 of anapparatus 20 employing an embodiment of the present invention andexecuted by a processor 22 of the apparatus, such as may be embodied byor associated with a computing device that receives content in regardsto FIGS. 3 and 4 and a computing device that provides content in regardsto FIG. 5. As will be appreciated, any such computer programinstructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmableapparatus (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine, such that the resultingcomputer or other programmable apparatus implements the functionsspecified in the flowchart blocks. These computer program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer-readable memory that may direct acomputer or other programmable apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablememory produce an article of manufacture the execution of whichimplements the function specified in the flowchart blocks. The computerprogram instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or otherprogrammable apparatus to cause a series of operations to be performedon the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce acomputer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute onthe computer or other programmable apparatus provide operations forimplementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks.

Accordingly, blocks of the flowcharts support combinations of means forperforming the specified functions and combinations of operations forperforming the specified functions for performing the specifiedfunctions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks of theflowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts, can beimplemented by special purpose hardware-based computer systems whichperform the specified functions, or combinations of special purposehardware and computer instructions.

In some embodiments, certain ones of the operations above may bemodified or further amplified. Furthermore, in some embodiments,additional optional operations may be included. Modifications,additions, or amplifications to the operations above may be performed inany order and in any combination.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associateddrawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain examplecombinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated thatdifferent combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided byalternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appendedclaims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elementsand/or functions than those explicitly described above are alsocontemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims.Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

That which is claimed:
 1. A method comprising: receiving an image of afirst external apparatus including information presented upon a displayof the first external apparatus; causing, with a processor, anidentification request that includes a representation of the image ofthe first external apparatus including a representation of theinformation presented upon the display of the first external apparatusto be provided to a plurality of external apparatuses; receiving aresponse to the identification request from the first external apparatusindicating that the first external apparatus has presented theinformation upon the display of the first external apparatus; andcausing communication with the first external apparatus to beestablished in response to receipt of the response to the identificationrequest from the first external apparatus including receiving contentincluding the same information that was presented upon the display ofthe first external apparatus and that was included in the image, whereinthe content that is received includes the same information with greaterresolution than the information that was presented upon the display ofthe first external apparatus and that was included in the image.
 2. Amethod according to claim 1 further comprising causing the image of thefirst external apparatus to be captured.
 3. A method according to claim1 further comprising authenticating the first external apparatus basedupon the information presented upon the display of the first externalapparatus prior to causing communication to be established with thefirst external apparatus.
 4. A method according to claim 1 furthercomprising generating the representation of the image of the firstexternal apparatus based upon at least part of the image of the firstexternal apparatus.
 5. A method according to claim 1 further comprisinggenerating the representation of the image of the first externalapparatus based upon one or more features within the image of the firstexternal apparatus.
 6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:determining that the image includes an image of the display of the firstexternal apparatus; and identifying the external apparatus based uponthe image of the external apparatus.
 7. An apparatus comprising at leastone processor and at least one memory including computer program code,the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to,with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive an image ofa first external apparatus including information presented upon adisplay of the first external apparatus; cause an identification requestthat includes a representation of the image of the first externalapparatus including a representation of the information presented uponthe display of the first external apparatus to be provided to aplurality of external apparatuses; receive a response to theidentification request from the first external apparatus indicating thatthe first external apparatus has presented the information upon thedisplay of the first external apparatus; and cause communication withthe first external apparatus to be established in response to receipt ofthe response to the identification request from the first externalapparatus including receipt of content including the same informationthat was presented upon the display of the first external apparatus andthat was included in the image, wherein the content that is receivedincludes the same information with greater resolution than theinformation that was presented upon the display of the first externalapparatus and that was included in the image.
 8. An apparatus accordingto claim 7 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program codeare further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus tocause the image of the first external apparatus to be captured.
 9. Anapparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one memory and thecomputer program code are further configured to, with the processor,cause the apparatus to authenticate the first external apparatus basedupon the information presented upon the display of the first externalapparatus prior to causing communication to be established with thefirst external apparatus.
 10. An apparatus according to claim 7 whereinthe at least one memory and the computer program code are furtherconfigured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to generate therepresentation of the image of the first external apparatus based uponat least part of the image of the first external apparatus.
 11. Anapparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one memory and thecomputer program code are further configured to, with the processor,cause the apparatus to generate the representation of the image of thefirst external apparatus based upon one or more features within theimage of the first external apparatus.
 12. An apparatus according toclaim 7 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program codeare further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:determine that the image includes an image of the display of the firstexternal apparatus; and identify the external apparatus based upon theimage of the external apparatus.
 13. A method comprising: receiving anidentification request that includes a representation of an image of anapparatus including a representation of information presented upon adisplay of the apparatus; determining, with a processor, whether theinformation presented upon the display of the apparatus that is includedwithin the identification request has been presented; in an instance inwhich the information presented upon the display of the apparatus thatis included within the identification request is determined to have beenpresented, causing a response to the identification request to beprovided that indicates that the information presented upon the displayof the apparatus has been presented; and causing communication with anexternal apparatus that provided the identification request to beestablished in response to a request from the external apparatusincluding causing provision of content including the same informationthat was presented upon the display of the apparatus and that wasincluded in the representation of the image, wherein the content that isprovided includes the same information with greater resolution than theinformation that was presented upon the display of the apparatus andthat was included in the representation of the image.
 14. A methodaccording to claim 13 wherein determining whether the informationpresented upon the display of the apparatus that is included within theidentification request has been presented comprises determining whetherthe information presented upon the display of the apparatus that isincluded within the identification request has been presented within apredefined time period.
 15. A method according to claim 14 furthercomprising receiving notification from the external apparatus of thepredefined time period that precedes the identification request.
 16. Anapparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memoryincluding computer program code, the at least one memory and thecomputer program code configured to, with the processor, cause theapparatus to at least: receive an identification request that includes arepresentation of an image of an apparatus including a representation ofinformation presented upon a display of the apparatus; determine whetherthe information presented upon the display of the apparatus that isincluded within the identification request has been presented; in aninstance in which the information presented upon the display of theapparatus that is included within the identification request isdetermined to have been presented, cause a response to theidentification request to be provided that indicates that theinformation presented upon the display of the apparatus has beenpresented; and cause communication with an external apparatus thatprovided the identification request to be established in response to arequest from the external apparatus including causing provision ofcontent including the same information that was presented upon thedisplay of the apparatus and that was included in the representation ofthe image, wherein the content that is provided includes the sameinformation with greater resolution than the information that waspresented upon the display of the apparatus and that was included in therepresentation of the image.
 17. An apparatus according to claim 16wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code areconfigured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determinewhether the information presented upon the display of the apparatus thatis included within the identification request has been presented bydetermining whether the information presented upon the display of theapparatus that is included within the identification request has beenpresented within a predefined time period.
 18. An apparatus according toclaim 17 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program codeare further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus toreceive notification from the external apparatus of the predefined timeperiod that precedes the identification request.
 19. A computer programproduct comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein,the computer-executable program code portions comprising program codeinstructions configured to: receive an image of a first externalapparatus including information presented upon a display of the firstexternal apparatus; cause an identification request that includes arepresentation of the image of the first external apparatus including arepresentation of the information presented upon the display of thefirst external apparatus to be provided to a plurality of externalapparatuses; receive a response to the identification request from thefirst external apparatus indicating that the first external apparatushas presented the information upon the display of the first externalapparatus; and cause communication with the first external apparatus tobe established in response to receipt of the response to theidentification request from the first external apparatus includingreceipt of content including the same information that was presentedupon the display of the first external apparatus and that was includedin the image, wherein the content that is received includes the sameinformation with greater resolution than the information that waspresented upon the display of the first external apparatus and that wasincluded in the image.
 20. A computer program product comprising atleast one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium havingcomputer-executable program code portions stored therein, thecomputer-executable program code portions comprising program codeinstructions configured to: receive an identification request thatincludes a representation of an image of an apparatus including arepresentation of information presented upon a display of the apparatus;determine whether the information presented upon the display of theapparatus that is included within the identification request has beenpresented; in an instance in which the information presented upon thedisplay of the apparatus that is included within the identificationrequest is determined to have been presented, cause a response to theidentification request to be provided that indicates that theinformation presented upon the display of the apparatus has beenpresented; and cause communication with an external apparatus thatprovided the identification request to be established in response to arequest from the external apparatus including provision of contentincluding the same information that was presented upon the display ofthe apparatus and that was included in the representation of the image,wherein the content that is provided includes the same information withgreater resolution than the information that was presented upon thedisplay of the apparatus and that was included in the representation ofthe image.